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BULLETIN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN 

Serial No. 465; General Series No. 302 



EXTENSION DIVISION 



The University of Wisconsin 



General Information and Welfare 



THE SOCIAL CENTER MOVEMENT 



Address delivered before The First National Confer- 
ence on Civic and Social Center Development, at Madi- 
son, Wis., October 25, 1911, by .Tosiah Strong, DD., Pres- 
ident of The Social Center Association'of America. 



PRICE, 5 CENTS 



MADISON 

Published by the University 

November, 1911 



Entered as second class matter, June 10, 1898, at the ppst-oflBce at Madison, 
Wisconsin, under the Act of July 16, 1894. 



UNIVERSITY EXTENSION DIVISION 

DEPARTMENT OF CORRESPONDENCE-STUDY 

One or more courses are offered in each of the following 
lines for home-study 
Agriculture 
Business and Industry 
Engineering 

Electrical, Mechanical, Civil 
Mechanical Drawing 
Surveying 

Highway Construction 
The Languages 

French, Italian, Spanish, German, Greek, Latin 
' History 

Ancient, Medieval, Modern, American, European 
Home Economics 
Political Economy 
Political Science 
Sociology 
Philosophy 
Education 
Mathematics 

English Language and Literature 
Physical Sciences 

Bacteriology, Botany, Physical Geography, Geology, 
Chemistry, Astronomy 
La^D 

Pharmacy 
Music 

Teachers' Beviews 
Any one or all of the above departmental announcements will 
be mailed to any address on request. 
DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTION BY LECTURES 

A bulletin descriptive of lectures and lecture courses will 
be mailed to any address on request. 
DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL INFORMATION AND WELFARE 

Bulletins descriptive of this department, including Munic- 
ipal Reference, Civic and Social Center, and Vocational 
Institute work, will be mailed on request. 
DEPARTMENT OF DEBATING AND PUBLIC DISCUSSION 

Bulletins on debating and the discussion of public ques- 
tions will be mailed on request without charge to citi- 
zens of the state. Copies will be mailed to addresses 
outside the state upon receipt of list price. 
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UNIVERSITY EXTENSION DIVISION 

Department of General Information and Welfare 



Madison, Wis. 
OFFICERS OF AD3IIXISTRATION 



Charles Richard Van Hise, Ph. D., LL. I). 
President of the University. 

Louis E. Rebeh, M. S., Sc. D. 
Dean, University Extension Division. 

Edward J. Ward, M. A., 
Adviser. 13ureau of Civic and Social Center Development. 



THE SOCIAL CENTER MOVEMENT 

Address delivered by Josiah Strong, D. D., President of the So- 
cial Center Association of America, before the First National Con- 
ference on Civic and Social Center Development, at Madison, Wis., 
Oct. ~'5, 1911. 



It is of the utter fitness of things that this first meeting' 
of a new and, we believe, most significant social move- 
ment should be in this state and in this university build- 
iag', as the guests of Madison and of Wisconsin Univer- 
sity, a university which, touching great social questions, 
the vital (luestions of our times, is the most progressive, 
the most influential of any university in the western hem- 
isphere. And let me say, sirs, that Wisconsin University 
is what it is, because Wisconsin state is what it is. The 

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state made tlie university possible, and the university, on 
its part, has served to mould the state. I seriously (|ues- 
tion whether there is another state in all the union where 
this university mioht ^exist unmodified. It is indeed fit- 
ting- that such a gatherino- should be the guests of such a 
university and at the capital city of such a state. 

There aw many scores and hundreds of national aather- 
ings in the United States in the course of a year, repre- 
senting- religious communions, ])olitical parties, industrial 
interests; capital on the one hand, labor on the other, but 
these great gatherings represent special classes or special 
interests. This gathering- is unique in the fact that it 
represents all the people — the Social Center represents all 
the people in all those interests which are common to 
all. 

Common Interests— The Great Interests 

Let me first emphasize the fact that these common inter- 
ests are by far the greatest interests of Humanity, and 
precisely the interests which have been very commonly 
neglected. Class interests are looked after by classes, but 
what is everybody's business is nobody's business. I be- 
lieve as your Chief Executive has said, that this move- 
ment marks the beginning of a new era; it is no ordinary 
occasion, no every day affair when a national gathering 
assembles to look after the great neglected common inter- 
ests of the community. 

If we were in South America sailing- on the waters of 
Titicaca, nearly 13,000 feet up in the air, we should see 
on the eastern shore of the lake, foothilU* touched with 
green, and back of them and appearing- above them, a 
mountain range, blue-black, meeting the clouds, and if 
we were fortunate and that cloud curtain should roll 
up, it would reveal to us high above the foothills, high 
above the blue-black range, the glorious snow covered 

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summits of the Audes. AVe find this majestic range rising 
in seven separate peaks from Illimani on the south, 21,000 
feet hiyli, to Sorato on the north, which is nearly 25,000 
feet, shouklering out tlie sky. The valleys in between at 
the base of these seven peaks I estimate must be some 
18,000 feet above the sea, three or four thousand feet 
hifflier than tlie tops of Colorado's noblest mountains, but 
these valleys have no name, it is the Seven Peaks that 
have yained, each a name and fame; but what would their 
four or live or six thousand feet above the range serve to 
give them name and fame did they not rest down upon 
the mighty Imlk of that majestic range':* 

The Lineolns and Washingtons, the Gladstones and Bis- 
marcks, the Shakespeares and Goethes, the Beethovens and 
Wagners, the Titians and the Raphaels, the Bacons, the 
Pasteurs, the Liszt, are the mountain peaks that have won 
each a lasting name and fame; but those <iualities which 
distinguished them from us would serve little purjiose if 
they did not rest down upon those qualities which they 
possess in common with all humanity. These great peaks 
of humanity have more in common with us than in differ- 
ence, and it is these common (jualities which the social 
center movement recognizes and emphasizes. 

The World Moving Toward Democracy 
The future belongs to democracy. Witness the absolu- 
tism of Russia, of Turkey, of Prussia, of China, feeling 
after constitutional government. They need not hope to 
achieve in a generation Avhat it cost our fathers hundreds 
of years to gain. You cannot extemporize liberty and 
free institutions, but nevertheless it is the universal fact 
that Demos is feeling after liberty. The future belongs 
to the people and it is high time that the people should 
have in every neighborhood a university where the people 
may gain self-education that shall fit them for their high 

responsibilities. 

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There are two ways of looking at humanity. Goethe 
said "There is something in every man's heart whicli, if 
we knew it, would make us hate him." Walt Whitman was 
once asked, "Do you hate such a man?" "Hate him? 
No. How can I hate him? I know him." These two 
attitudes toward human nature are typical. If it be true, 
as I believe, that there is more in human nature to love 
than to hate, then the people by coming into close contact 
with one another, becoming reallj^ acquainted with one 
another, will increase their mutual respect and lay broader 
and securer foundations on which to build popular govern- 
ment. 

Acquaintance Necessary for Self Government 

A strong czar or a strong sultan might rule successfully 
a hundred races Avith bitter prejudices, with religious 
animosities, speaking different tongues, but how shall a 
hundred different races govern themselves if they do not 
know each other, if they do not speak the same tongue? 
Popular government implies common interests, common 
action. How is this possible unless men know each 
other? 

I believe, sir, that this extension of the university over 
the whole state, these university extensions to which you 
have made reference, have values which it would be diffi- 
cult to over-estimate, we cannot even enumerate them, 
but let us toiich very liglitly on two or three. For hun- 
dreds of years men have hated and hunted and burned 
one another for the love of God. We no longer hunt and 
burn one another, for this is an age of toleration in re- 
ligion, though evidently some hate one another still, be- 
cause they bear different names. What would you think, 
good friends, of a family whose members tolerated one 
another, Avhat would you think of brothers who tolerated 
one another? I believe that there is to be a realization 

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•of brotherhood in humanity, such that toleration will 
become intolerable, and I believe that, gathering in a 
"Social Center where men come to know each other, is a 
long step in this direction. 

The View Depends on the View Point 

We have modern pillared saints much like those of old — 
•men who were pedestaled thirty or fifty years ago, and 
have stayed there ever since. As they look about the 
world, they see that they are at the precise center of 
the horizon, and as they look up, each sees that heaven is 
•exactly over him. Now let our pillared saint climb down 
from his pillar, let him go over and talk with those other 
fellows over thei-e and he will make a discovery; he will 
•discover that those otlier eyes were at the center of the 
horizon, and he will discover that the zenith was exactly 
•over those men as well; he is a larger man. 

I remember some years ago Governor Wilson, then 
President Wilson, made this remark to me: I have 
■often thought," said he, "that if I could have an answer to 
but one prayer it should be this, 'Oh, Lord, make all the 
fools bad men'." The longer you ruminate on that, the 
juicier it will grow. It is because the fools are good men 
•that they get a following; very commonly, they are trusted 
because they are recognized as good men; they would be dis- 
trusted if thej' were obviously bad men. Men who wish 
to help humanitv must not be simply good, but wise. 
•Gregg, the essayist, remarks "It is one of the principal du- 
ties of the wise to counteract the efforts of the good." It 
is high time for the good to become wise. And touching 
social problems, I know of no better way to become wise 
than to become acquainted with the view points of other 
people, not only of scholars, but of those whose wisdom, 
especially, was trusted by Abraham Lincoln. 



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The Social Center a Common Institution 

It goes without saying that the Social Center by its- 
very nature cannot become sectarian. I believe that this- 
acquaintance whieli must inevitably come from gathering 
in the Social Centers, capitalists with working men, the 
literate with the illiterate, the ''society" women with the 
Avorking women, the representatives of Protestantism and 
Catholicism and Judaism — must result not only in better 
government but also in a truer religious sympathy. Men, 
belonging to the same neighborhood cannot thus come to- 
gether to study their common interests, seek to remove 
common nuisances, without increasing their mutual re- 
spect, and as they grow in intelligence regarding politi- 
cal need and political mathod, our politics will feel the re- 
sult. But of course it would ba a contradiction in terms- 
for the Social Center J:o become partisan as it would be- 
for the Social Center to become sectarian. 

These are great times in which we are living, awaken- 
ing times, beginning times. I want to congratulate the 
students who are here on being young with the century. 
I devoutly believe you are living in the greatest period of 
all history and in the land of supremest opportunity, be- 
cause this is the supreme transitional period of all the- 
ages, from individualistic civilization to a social or col- 
lective civilization, and it is the great transitional periods 
which have been the periods of great opportunity; the 
mighty hinges of history on which have turned the des- 
tinies of states, of nations, of civilizations. 

This is the age of democracy', and ours is the duty of 
showing the way to the Democracy of tlie World. In an 
important sense this so-called new world is the old world 
today, and Asia is the new world. Like pupils to a teacher 
they are sending their i-epresentatives to the United States- 
to learn from our experience. For the great pi'oblems of 



the new civilization are farther developed here than else- 
where in all the world, and we have facilities for solving- 
these problems that exist nowhere else in all the world. 

Think of one of them, for instance, the race problem. 
There has always been more or less of race antipathy, 
heightened by religious prejudice, and to this, must now 
be added, economic competition. Races representing dif- 
ferent civilizations, having radically different standards of 
living, are getting together in competition, and intensify- 
ing the ])rejudice. That problem must be solved before 
the brotherhood of man can prevail, before the kingdom 
of God can come in the earth, before America can be real- 
ized. 

We have in this country more citizens of foreign birth 
than. all the other countries and all the Avorld combined. 
Thej' are here and this is the great laboratory where must 
be solved this mighty problem, the relation of races to 
each other. Where can it better be,d6ne than in the So- 
cial Center, where men meet, not as belonging to a class 
or to a race, but simply as belonging to humanity, where 
we meet as men'? i 

I believe that we in America are not only engaged in 
the statesmanlike work of moulding a nation, but we are 
engaged in the God-like work of shaping a world and to 
find and grasp a tool for this common task is the aim of 
the Social Center movement. 



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